Read Online Sullivan Saga 3: Sullivan's Watch by Michael K. Rose - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michael K. Rose
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handle. The blast of energy sliced the handle and lock away. Sullivan stepped forward, opened the door and scanned the lobby. “You check that hallway on the left, I’ll go right.”
Ives nodded. Sullivan cleared his hallway then made his way toward the center of the lobby. He kneeled down next to the woman and touched her on the shoulder.
Ives came up beside him. “Well?”
“Dead.”
“How?”
“I’m not sure.” He rolled the woman over onto her back. An expression of terror was frozen on her face. “A heart attack?” He studied the supplies on the top of the cart. “She was a cleaning woman. Probably came down after cleaning the offices and saw one of those creatures go by.” He played with the buttons on the cart’s display screen for a moment.
“Well, the fact that her body hasn’t been attacked probably means this building is secure,” said Ives. “How do you want to proceed?”
Both their heads swung up as the bell above the elevators chimed. They raised their weapons as the doors opened. A low, oval-shaped machine emerged from the elevator. A thin, wand-like arm was folded up along its top. Upon seeing the floor cleaner, they both lowered their weapons.
It rolled toward them, and a door on the side of the cart slid open and lowered a short ramp. The machine rolled in and connected itself to a docking station. The ramp retracted, and the doors slid shut.
Sullivan shook his head. “Sorry. I must have called it back.”
“Did you know those things could hit elevator buttons?”
“No. I always thought that arm on top was just a cleaning tool. Guess it serves a dual purpose.” He stood and walked over to the security desk. A mug of coffee, still half full, sat on the desk. “Where’s the guard?”
“He might have bolted when everything started to happen.”
Sullivan watched the monitors as they cycled through the various cameras throughout the building. He pointed at one of the monitors as Ives came up beside him. “Open door. Someone’s still in here. Or was.”
“Could the cleaning lady have left it open? To let the floor cleaner finish, perhaps?”
“Maybe, but I doubt it. I think she was in the lobby because she was leaving for the day. Probably finishing up down here while the cleaner did its last run of a hallway.”
“The display says it’s the fourth floor. Let’s go check it out.”
Sullivan led the way to the bank of elevators and pressed the button. The doors opened, and they entered then rode up to the fourth floor. As the doors opened again, both men readied their weapons.
From the elevator, they could see the open door. They slowly approached it. Inside, they could hear a rustling sound. Sullivan rounded the doorframe and strode in, surveying the room. It was the waiting room of an office. “Who’s here?”
A noise from an adjoining room made him turn.
“Don’t shoot!” A man in a business suit stepped out into the waiting room, his hands above his head.
“I won’t. Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I had some work to finish up before a big meeting. Had to come in on the weekend. Then all this happened, and I’ve been here ever since.”
“Is there anyone else in the building?”
“I don’t think so. There’s… there’s the cleaning woman downstairs.”
Sullivan frowned. “We saw her. What’s your name?”
“Bill Cole.”
“We’re going to get you somewhere safe, Bill.”
“My family… I’ve been trying to call, but I can’t get through to my wife.”
“A lot of communications satellites were destroyed during the battle.”
“Can you help me find them? Please?”
“Bill….”
“My apartment isn’t far. Please… I tried to leave the building to go home a couple of times, but those creatures… I had to run back here.”
Sullivan bit his lip. “All right.” He turned to Ives. “This street is pretty much clear. Might as well move on to another.”
Bill thrust out his hand. “Thank you
Ives nodded. Sullivan cleared his hallway then made his way toward the center of the lobby. He kneeled down next to the woman and touched her on the shoulder.
Ives came up beside him. “Well?”
“Dead.”
“How?”
“I’m not sure.” He rolled the woman over onto her back. An expression of terror was frozen on her face. “A heart attack?” He studied the supplies on the top of the cart. “She was a cleaning woman. Probably came down after cleaning the offices and saw one of those creatures go by.” He played with the buttons on the cart’s display screen for a moment.
“Well, the fact that her body hasn’t been attacked probably means this building is secure,” said Ives. “How do you want to proceed?”
Both their heads swung up as the bell above the elevators chimed. They raised their weapons as the doors opened. A low, oval-shaped machine emerged from the elevator. A thin, wand-like arm was folded up along its top. Upon seeing the floor cleaner, they both lowered their weapons.
It rolled toward them, and a door on the side of the cart slid open and lowered a short ramp. The machine rolled in and connected itself to a docking station. The ramp retracted, and the doors slid shut.
Sullivan shook his head. “Sorry. I must have called it back.”
“Did you know those things could hit elevator buttons?”
“No. I always thought that arm on top was just a cleaning tool. Guess it serves a dual purpose.” He stood and walked over to the security desk. A mug of coffee, still half full, sat on the desk. “Where’s the guard?”
“He might have bolted when everything started to happen.”
Sullivan watched the monitors as they cycled through the various cameras throughout the building. He pointed at one of the monitors as Ives came up beside him. “Open door. Someone’s still in here. Or was.”
“Could the cleaning lady have left it open? To let the floor cleaner finish, perhaps?”
“Maybe, but I doubt it. I think she was in the lobby because she was leaving for the day. Probably finishing up down here while the cleaner did its last run of a hallway.”
“The display says it’s the fourth floor. Let’s go check it out.”
Sullivan led the way to the bank of elevators and pressed the button. The doors opened, and they entered then rode up to the fourth floor. As the doors opened again, both men readied their weapons.
From the elevator, they could see the open door. They slowly approached it. Inside, they could hear a rustling sound. Sullivan rounded the doorframe and strode in, surveying the room. It was the waiting room of an office. “Who’s here?”
A noise from an adjoining room made him turn.
“Don’t shoot!” A man in a business suit stepped out into the waiting room, his hands above his head.
“I won’t. Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I had some work to finish up before a big meeting. Had to come in on the weekend. Then all this happened, and I’ve been here ever since.”
“Is there anyone else in the building?”
“I don’t think so. There’s… there’s the cleaning woman downstairs.”
Sullivan frowned. “We saw her. What’s your name?”
“Bill Cole.”
“We’re going to get you somewhere safe, Bill.”
“My family… I’ve been trying to call, but I can’t get through to my wife.”
“A lot of communications satellites were destroyed during the battle.”
“Can you help me find them? Please?”
“Bill….”
“My apartment isn’t far. Please… I tried to leave the building to go home a couple of times, but those creatures… I had to run back here.”
Sullivan bit his lip. “All right.” He turned to Ives. “This street is pretty much clear. Might as well move on to another.”
Bill thrust out his hand. “Thank you
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